http://phys.org/technology-news/ en-us Phys.Org provides the latest news on technology, software, computer science, internet, semiconductor, telecom and science technology. A high-powered commission said Wednesday that intellectual property theft was costing the United States the equivalent of all its exports to Asia and urged a tougher approach to China. http://phys.org/news288464841.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 18:07:40 EST news288464841 Hewlett-Packard's slump is deepening as the world's largest personal computer maker scrambles to meet the growing demand for more versatile and less expensive mobile devices. http://phys.org/news288461781.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 17:16:28 EST news288461781 Google boss Eric Schmidt insisted Wednesday his company was trying to do the "right thing" as it faces criticism in Britain over the amount of tax it pays, saying it was for countries not companies to decide tax policies. http://phys.org/news288458648.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 16:40:01 EST news288458648 Clearwire wants to accept a richer buyout offer made by Sprint this week and is recommending that shareholders vote in favor of it. http://phys.org/news288457695.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 16:30:02 EST news288457695 Japan's nuclear watchdog said Wednesday that one reactor was sitting directly above an active tectonic fault, effectively ruling out a restart forever. http://phys.org/news288457676.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 16:20:01 EST news288457676 Twitter said Wednesday it was stepping up security measures for the popular messaging service following a series of high-profile breaches by hackers hitting media organizations and others. http://phys.org/news288457504.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 16:05:15 EST news288457504 (Phys.org) —The idea of living with 3-D printed food is neither unthinkable nor new; designers and futurists have been looking to 3-D printing as food's next frontier. In 2012, there was news that the Thiel Foundation made a $350,000 donation to Modern Meadow. Co-founded by Gabor and Andras Forgacs, two tech-entrepreneurs, the company focus was on commercialized bioprinting and they were exploring bioprinted meat —applying the basic idea of layering cells using print technology. Now, NASA similarly made a next-frontier move in bestowing a $125,000 grant on Systems & Materials Research Corporation (SMRC) in Austin, Texas. The company has been given the nod from NASA to create a prototype of a food synthesizer. The prototype will follow the company's-proof of concept a chocolate printer, applying a layer of chocolate on to a cracker. The company will move on up to a more nutritional solution. The grant from NASA is for a system that can print food for astronauts on space missions. http://phys.org/news288456209.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 16:00:07 EST news288456209 Solar Impulse, the first aircraft that can fly day and night fueled entirely by energy from the sun, embarked Wednesday on the second leg of its historic journey across the American continent. http://phys.org/news288456389.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 15:46:35 EST news288456389 Facebook on Wednesday became a full member of the Global Network Initiative, a non-governmental organization promoting Internet freedom and privacy rights. http://phys.org/news288447541.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 13:19:06 EST news288447541 EU leaders, desperate to give growth a boost, target energy policy Wednesday amid concerns a US-led revolution in shale oil and gas development will reshape the global economy and leave Europe far behind. http://phys.org/news288433630.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 09:40:01 EST news288433630 Swedish researchers are leading the development of the world's first comprehensive model of the human voice, which could contribute to better voice care, voice prosthetics, talking robots and teaching opportunities. http://phys.org/news288433039.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 09:17:38 EST news288433039 (Phys.org) —Researchers working to improve durability in fuel cell powered buses, including a team from Simon Fraser University, have discovered links between electrode degradation processes and bus membrane durability. http://phys.org/news288430059.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 09:00:02 EST news288430059 (Phys.org) —Highview Power Storage, a British company that develops energy storage systems for utility companies has received $18 million in funding from several backers to investigate the use of "liquid air" as a means of storing electricity for backup purposes. Liquid air is air that has been chilled to the point of liquefying—when warmed it expands, allowing for the possibility of driving turbines to create electricity. http://phys.org/news288431905.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 08:59:22 EST news288431905 (Phys.org) —Ground-breaking Australian research on the viability of aviation biofuels has today been released, at the culmination of almost three years of work by The University of Queensland, James Cook University, The Boeing Company, Virgin Australia, Mackay Sugar and IOR Energy. http://phys.org/news288427404.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 08:40:03 EST news288427404 The discovery of potential environmental and human health effects from disposal of millions of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries each year has led scientists to recommend stronger government policies to encourage recovery, recycling and reuse of lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery materials. That's the conclusion of a new paper in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology. http://phys.org/news288430494.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 08:35:12 EST news288430494 A full 90% of all the data in the world has been generated over the last two years. The internet companies are awash with data that can be grouped and utilised. Is this a good thing? http://phys.org/news288427600.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 08:30:02 EST news288427600 Alternative input methods for smart phones, such as Swype and SwiftKey, offer substantial benefits to users and are comparable with common typing speeds found on computer keyboards, according to a report published by researchers at Loughborough University. Writing in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Design Research, Tom Page, a lecturer in electronic product design, has assessed a number of different text input technologies available to smart phone users. http://phys.org/news288427575.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 08:20:01 EST news288427575 Tops and branches from tree-felling sites are reborn in the laboratory as compact pellets. However, the energy industry will not act until the price is right. http://phys.org/news288427505.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 08:10:02 EST news288427505 (Phys.org) —In the opening scene of the iconic movie of the 1960s, The Graduate, Benjamin Braddock, at a party to celebrate his college degree, is given one word of advice for his future: "Plastics." Were young Benjamin to be receiving that advice today the word would be: "Batteries." Steve Visco of Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division had plenty of encouraging words for young graduates on the opportunities to be had in next generation battery research. Speaking at the recent national meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans, Visco discussed the enormous progress his own start-up company, PolyPlus, has made in developing lithium-metal batteries with unprecedented energy density, and how the ever-growing need for electrical energy storage will require continued innovation and development in battery research. http://phys.org/news288427172.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 08:00:02 EST news288427172 (Phys.org) —A new research study suggests that supplier integration into the new product development process can be more beneficial if buyers increase their competency in modular design. http://phys.org/news288427473.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 08:00:01 EST news288427473 A cutting edge system is being developed to deploy more solar-based energy plants, enabling the delivery of cleaner power more efficiently, while keeping Europe at the leading edge of energy technologies. http://phys.org/news288426204.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 07:40:03 EST news288426204 A typical pair of running shoes generates 30 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to keeping a 100-watt light bulb on for one week, according to a new MIT-led lifecycle assessment. But what's surprising to researchers isn't the size of a shoe's carbon footprint, but where the majority of that footprint comes from. http://phys.org/news288426982.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 07:37:15 EST news288426982 Australian children are accessing social media websites at an increasingly younger age, a new survey suggests, with one in five "tweens" admitting they have chatted to someone online they do not know. http://phys.org/news288423716.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 07:00:02 EST news288423716 A consortium comprising French, South Korean and Chinese companies has won a contract for a liquefied natural gas project in Canada, the French partner Technip said on Wednesday. http://phys.org/news288424080.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 06:48:20 EST news288424080 Sony's CEO Kazuo Hirai says the electronics giant's board will discuss a proposal by U.S. hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb to spin off up to 20 percent of its movie, TV and music division. http://phys.org/news288423668.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 06:41:17 EST news288423668 Now that tech favorite Apple Inc. has been dragged front and center into the debate over the U.S. tax code, lawmakers are hoping that the spotlight on such a high-profile company could be the catalyst for Congress to take action to close loopholes or reform the law. http://phys.org/news288420876.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 05:54:52 EST news288420876 The first-ever manned airplane that can fly by day or night on solar power alone was set to soar early Wednesday on the second leg of its journey across the United States. http://phys.org/news288418418.html Technology Wed, 22 May 2013 05:13:48 EST news288418418 US online giant Amazon has unveiled plans for a futuristic greenhouse style headquarters "where employees can work and socialize in a more natural, park-like setting." http://phys.org/news288379001.html Technology Tue, 21 May 2013 18:16:47 EST news288379001 American teenagers are sharing more information about themselves on social media sites, but taking steps to protect their privacy online, a study showed Tuesday. http://phys.org/news288376471.html Technology Tue, 21 May 2013 18:10:01 EST news288376471 A high-tech startup is wading into the gun control debate with a cellphone controller that would allow gun owners to know when their weapon is being moved—and disable it remotely. http://phys.org/news288376342.html Technology Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:01 EST news288376342